Retire
by Proserphina
Summary: Skaters are only competitive for a short time, so why is this 50 year old competing. Some young skaters want to know why Yuuri is still on the ice.


The young skater watched the ice as the old man glided across its surface, still graceful despite his age. He had to be at least 50 by now, his hair silver instead of black and lines on his skin from every smile and frown that had ever crossed his face. Still, he was amazing to watch. His spins and step sequences were breathtaking, the older skaters had told him the old man had been known for them since he first started skating competitively, that hadn't changed with age.

The body under the skating costume was still strong, but the young skater knew the old man had had a few operations on his knees and hips over the past decade and a half. Despite the years of practice skating competitively like this must still be a strain on the old man. The young skater held his breath as the old man made a double loop, followed closely by a flip, the audience gasped and the young skater remembered to breathe again. Surely the old man could have retired by now, it wasn't as if he ever made it past local competitions anymore. The crowd erupted as the old man finished his skate. He never made it past local competitions, and yet, people still flocked to his every performance. The young skater looked around him at the crowd, and watched as they stood, screamed, cried, clapped and hurled flowers, plushie foods and stuffed poodles onto the ice. Taking a final bow the old man skated off the ice and into the waiting arms of his coach.

"I mean, I know he was a good skater when he was younger, I've seen the videos, and he's an inspiration and everything, but surely it's time for him to retire" said the young skater to his friend as they changed out of their skates. The competition had ended and both had placed, the old man had come forth.

"I know what you mean, it's dangerous for such an old man to still be skating like that, plus it's a massive ego blow to the people who place below him" said his friend, neither having noticed their coach coming up behind them

"Katsuki may not be the skater he used to be, but don't think he couldn't beat you if he tried" grumbled the coach, scaring the young skaters "he may not be able to do the jumps anymore, not that he could land them before, but he could still beat you on performance points alone if he took it more seriously" finished the coach.

"So why doesn't he take it seriously?" asked the braver of the two

"Because competing would get in the way of coaching" said the coach after raising an eyebrow "Yuuri coaches junior skaters and his coach Viktor takes the seniors"

"If competing would get in the way of coaching, why compete at all?" asked the other, confusion warring with irritation in his voice, their coach rolled his eyes

"Probably some stupid reason" he grumbled before glancing up and freezing "shit, they've spotted me" he muttered under his breath as the men they had just been talking about bounded over

"Yurio!" they both called to him, too loud considering they were already right next to him. The young skaters jaws dropped as the men wrapped their irritable coach in a group hug

"Get off me idiots" could be heard over congratulations and over enthusiastic hellos. Laughing the men complied "idiots" muttered their coach again, but this time it was almost affectionate. The young skaters had never seen this side of their coach and were a little afraid. Oblivious to this Yuri, remembering the boys earlier question, looked at Yuuri and asked "why haven't you retired yet, the boys wanted to know, and I've never cared enough to ask before now"

Yuuri turned to the boys and said in a matter of fact voice "Viktor promised he would be my coach until I retire, so I'm never retiring. He'll always be my coach, and he'll always be with me" Yuri rolled his eyes at the logic

"Why are you worried about that, you've been married for 20 years now" he said

"23 years this June" Viktor corrected easily, gaining a smile from his husband and another eye roll from their friend.

The two young skaters looked at each other as the three men walked off discussing getting coffee "did any of that make sense to you?" asked one

"Not really. I think coach was smiling though, so I'm pretty sure the world is ending" said the other staring after the men in a state of shock

"Lets go back to the hotel, my head hurts and I need to lie down."

The boys decided after that to just accept the old man on the ice and to never bring up the conversation in front of their coach again, lest he smile and have the world actually end.


End file.
